


Never Lose That Smile

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Angst, But also a little fluffy, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grieving, M/M, Poor Rin, So Angsty Fluff?, like so Angsty, poor Makoto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 09:44:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4132842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sousuke's death left Makoto little more than a mess. A mess that a hospitalised Rin has to comfort.</p>
<p>May or may not have been inspired by a certain BH6 scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Lose That Smile

The hospital room was quiet, save for Makoto's heavy breathing. Rin watched the brunet carefully from his bed - the visitor didn't seem that stable. 

"Hey," Rin ventured quietly. "You okay?"

It was a stupid question - of course the man who was currently wearing his dead husband's ring on a necklace wasn't going to be 'okay'. Rin realised that as soon as Makoto jerked his head up, fire in his eyes.

"Okay? Am I okay?" Makoto hissed. "Do I fucking look okay?"

Rin shrank back into his hospital bed. This wasn't Makoto. Makoto didn't swear like that at all.

"I'm sorry -"

"You should be!" Makoto yelled. "If it wasn't for you, Sousuke would still be here!"

"You don't know that," Rin said quietly. There were tears in Makoto's eyes now, but he didn't seem to notice them as he kept yelling.

"I do! You were the reason he went back in there! If you had stayed with us -"

"Does blaming me make anything better?!" Rin snapped. "Will that bring Sousuke back?!"

"That doesn't matter," Makoto hissed. "He's gone."

"It does matter!" Rin paused, letting out a cough. Then in a much softer tone, "Makoto, Sousuke wouldn't want to see you like this -"

"SOUSUKE'S GONE!" Makoto yelled, and there it was - all the frustration, and anger, and pain Makoto had been feeling - summarised in two words. He held for a moment, glaring at Rin, before he dropped - eyelids, mouths, shoulders - and looked away. "Sousuke's - gone…" he repeated, and he sounded so tired. Like he just wanted to rest. Rin watched quietly, regarding Makoto cautiously.

"I - I should have gone in," Makoto said quietly. "I'm the god damn fire fighter and yet he went in…"

"If you went in, he'd have followed you," Rin muttered. "Makoto - let me you tell you something. Sousuke was head over heels for you. And that's not the love that's just gone even when they die."

Makoto looked up, and blinked, but there were still small tears. Rin reached out and gently wiped them away with his sleeve.

"Let me tell you about this one time," Rin started. "It was about six, seven, years ago, and me and Sousuke were meeting in a café."  
\----  
 _  
"Rin?"_

_"Yeah, Sousuke?"_

_"How can you tell if someone likes you? Or if you like them?" Sousuke asked, taking a sip of his drink. "Really like them, in that kind of way?"_

_Rin raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason why you're asking?"_

_Sousuke was quiet for a few moments. "I think I might like Makoto," he muttered at last, cheeks going red._

_"Aha!" Rin yelled, grinning, making Sousuke jump. "I knew you'd get along with him! So tell me, dear Sousuke," Rin continued, leaning forward eagerly, "what makes you think that?"_

_"Well - you know how Makoto is," Sousuke began. "He's so kind to everyone, even that that fucking weird kid who's high all the time -"_

_"Haru?"_

_"No, some other kid. Nanase's only high around water," Sousuke said. "But even when I get moody or yell at him because of the pain in my shoulder, he just understands, and he's fucking perfect to look at as well, and God, I just want to spend my life with him." He paused, then looked up at Rin. "You tell him any of this, and you're a dead man, you hear me?"_

_"I hear you," Rin chuckled. "Hey, tell me what happens when you ask him out? I am so supporting this relationship."_

_"Dead. Man," Sousuke repeated.  
_  
\---

Makoto was quiet now, sans a few sniffing noises. "He - really said that?" he asked, as though he wasn't sure of himself.

"Yeah," Rin said with a nod. "You've should've seen him when you asked him out - well, heard him, I guess."

\---  
 __  
"Rin! Oh my God, Rin!" Sousuke had yelled down the phone, making Rin wince slightly. "He accepted! I've got a date with Makoto on Saturday!"

_"Hey, congratulation!" Rin said, smiling. "Where are you going?"_

_There was silence. "Shit, I didn't think of that," Sousuke said, after letting out a deep breath. "Movie and dinner? No, shit, that's too common for someone like Makoto, and I don't even know what movies are on. Just dinner - no, no, what the hell would we talk about? Shit, Rin, you know Makoto so much better than I do, what the hell does he like -"_

_"He's likes people being themselves," Rin interrupted gently. "Look, don't fuss about this. Be yourself, take him out around the shopping district and see what he wants to do there. I guarantee that he will ask for a second date."_

_"...even if someone like me?"_

_"What, you mean someone who cares a lot despite the fact he doesn't know how to voice it?" Rin joked. "Look, don't worry. Makoto's too nice for his own good - he'll let you down gently if he doesn't like it, or he'll god damn jump you with hugs and kisses. Now, phone him up and ask him what he wants to do. Now!"_

_"…thank you, Rin."_

\---

Makoto was shakily laughing now. "He really was nervous over that first date," he murmured. "And I thought I'd be too boring for him…"

Rin shook his head. "God, you two were always going to end up together. Like Nagisa and Rei, only worse." There was silence.

"...what was he like before we got married?" Makoto asked.

Rin laughed, then coughed. His lungs were still sore from smoke inhalation, it seemed. "Now that - that was adorable to see," Rin began.

\---

_"You ready for this, big guy?" Rin asked, slapping Sousuke on the back. "Tonight, you'll be taking Mr. Yamazaki home."_

_"We already live together," Sousuke said. "But oh God, Rin, what if I mess up my vows? Just like that, and Makoto gets mad and leaves me on the altar, and that's it or-"_

_"Or you're just freaking out about things that don't matter," Rin said. "C'mon, you're that worried about your vows? Run through them with me now."_

_Sousuke paused for a moment, then brought out a crumpled piece of paper from his breast pocket. "Makoto," he began, "I remember when I first met you. At first, you were just Nanase's caretaker, but then we were roommates at university. And I fell in love with you, for the first time in my life. And that love will last, long after we're both gone, for hundreds and thousands of years. Each day with you, each time you smile, it's like falling in love with you all over again. Please, never lose that smile." He looked up at Rin. "Does that sounds okay?"_

_"It sounds perfect," Rin said. "Now go out there, and get married. Makoto's waiting."_

\---

"He loved you, Makoto," Rin said, once again finding himself wiping away Makoto's tears. "Hundreds of thousands years from now, that fact will be the same."

"Thank you, Rin," Makoto murmured. "I'm so, so sorry for yelling at you." And then, more quietly - "I guess - I guess I really didn't know how much he loved me."

"No one really knew," Rin said. "But it was a lot."

"So much," Makoto echoed. "Hey - when you get out of here, do you - come to Sousuke's grave with me? I don't think -"

"I will, Makoto," Rin said. "I will."

"Thank you."

**Author's Note:**

> This was something I needed to write. Inspired by the 'Tadashi is Here' scene in Big Hero 6 (which I will never stop loving oh my god that movie). Basic backstory is the same - there was a fire, Sousuke went in and never came in. Minus the whole becoming superheroes. That doesn't happen this time. 
> 
> Poor Makoto and Rin.


End file.
